Talk notes: Restoring rivers

October's was talk was given by Connor Goddard, Freshwater Delivery Manager at the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust (WWT). The WWT’s Water team comprises 10 staff members, who coordinate projects in Wiltshire with volunteers and other organisations.

Connor came to talk specifically about the Wylye Valley Landscape Recovery Project. This is a long term project which has four aims; to improve the river Wylye’s climate resilience to extremes of flow and temperature, restore habitats, restore species abundance and reduce the pollution load. Connor gave an outline of the project, which was in the 2nd tranche of competitive Defra tenders, with a two year scoping phase, followed by a ten year implementation stage. Wylye Valley Farmer Cluster members are involved, pledging land along a 20 km stretch of river to be involved in several different regenerative actions.

Connor outlined how the river will be re-connected with its floodplain. Where the banks have been raised to stop water overtopping them in times of high flow, water will once again flow into the meadows presenting flooding further downstream. In places, the river has been straightened or diverted, so where possible, meanders will be reinstated. In several places, the river will be allowed to regain its old path at the bottom of the valley, rather than perched on the side of it.
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Finally, Connor showed us slides of other works the water team do, such as pegging woody material into the river in strategic places, to narrow the bed, and as a consequence to increase the flow to enable the water to scour the river gravels clean, for spawning Salmon.

Shortly after the talk, it was announced that WWT’s Water team had won the prestigious Sanctuary Environment Enhancement Award for the West Chisenbury river restoration and wetland creation from the Ministry of Defence. Follow this link to see Alice Eley and Connor Goddard receiving the award from Senior Ecologist Jenny Bennett.

Peter Shallcross